Thomas tayler smith



(No Model.) 2 'Sheets-rsh@'et4 1.

T. T. SMITH.

HANGING BALANGED ELECTRIC LAMP.

Patented Teb. 17.1865.

N, PETERS. Plmevuxhogmphur. washington It'y C.

uw Model.) 2 sheeusfsneep 2;

vT. T. ,SMITH.

HANGING BALANYGBD ELECTRIC LAMP. No. L312.394. Patented Feb. 17, 1885.`

UNTTnn @Tatras BATTNT @Trina THOMAS TAYLER SMITH, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

HANGlNG BALANCED ELECTRIC LAlv/ll.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentlNo. 312,394, dated February 17, 18185.

Application filed October 1T, 1384. (No model.) Patent-cd in England August 24, 15.83, No. 4,104.

T all whom it man concern.:

Be it kno ii n that l, THOMAS TAYLER SMITH, of 4 Circus Place, Finsbury, in the city of London, architect, have invented an Improved Hanging Balanced Electric Lamp, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive and efficient means for suspending incandescent and other electric lamps from ceilings and other points of attachment, which will permit of the'position of the lamps being adjusted vertically within a considerable range without interrupting the continuity ofthe electrical circuit, and will enable the said lamps and their fittings and supports to be readily detached from the ceiling or equivalent surface and removed when required.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, with an incandescent lamp and lampsoeket and a flexible cord or conductor containingr boththe tiow and return wires, suitably insulated, of a balance-weight, a pair of detachable pulleys, and means for rapidly connecting or disconnecting the iiexible cord with the iixed overhead wires, whereby the said lamp and lamp-socket may be readily put up or taken down, or while t-he lamp is burning be raised or lowered vertically within a considerable range. Thus the present invention affords facilities for the vertical adjustment of a hanging lamp or lamps at very little cost for fittings, and allows of the lamps being detached from the ceiling or other surface and attached elsewhere, as required.

The invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a simple hanging balanced lamp and fittings of the kind above indicated are illustrated by way of example.

Figure lis an elevation ofthe hanging lamp complete. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the upper detachable pulley. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the saine, and of a coupling by which the lexible cord is detachably and electrically connected with the overhead wires. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the balance-weight, lower pulley, and guide for the iiexible cord. Fig. 5 is an end elevation, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, of the saine. Figs. 7 and 8 are side and end elevations of an upper pulley fitted with another form of safety-catch for locking the detachable pulley in place. Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a safety-catch suit-able for the detachable pulley of vthe balance-weight.

In these figures the same letters of reference indicate like or corresponding parts.

Referring now to Fig. l, A represents an electric lamp and socket, of any well-known and approved construction, with which the new and return wires of the iiexible cord B are properly connected inthe manner well understood. This single cord B, containing both the flow and return wires, suitably insulated, passes around two pulleys. C C', the upper pulley being made detachable from and supported by the ceiling-plate D, and the lower pulley being attached to or carried by the weight E, to which any appropriate design may be given, and which is of such size as will nicely balance the electric lamp and its socket. The other end of the flexible cord B is brought into connection at. the point F with the branch wires, in or above the ceilingplate, by means of a detachable coupling or carriage adapted to be slid into guides and make contact with permanent terminals arranged withinor secured to the said ceilingplate, after the manner hereinafter described by me, or in any other convenient manner. By this very simple arrangement the cord leading from the lamp and its socket cannot only be rapidly attached to or detached from the ceiling, but the lainp can be raised and lowered vertically while alight, within very considerable limits, and will remain in its adjusted position without the necessity for employing spring reels and pawls. The weight E has a guide, such as e, for the cord B, and the lamp-socket has a tubular or other suitable extension, a, which serves both as a guide for steadying the lamp and insuring its proper vertical position and as a stop for arresting its upward movement and preventing injury to the lamp-glass, or its socket from striking against the hanging balance weight E. This guide-stop may be buffed with leather or rubber to diminish jarring, and, with the lampsOCket, may be concealed by a tassel, a', as shown in the drawings. The

IOO

pulley C. carried by the ceiling-plate, I make detachable, as above stated, and so construct it that it can be readily and securely fixed in place or removed therefrom when required. A convenient mode of effecting this is to slot the side pieces or cheeks which carry the pulley-spindle diagonally or laterally, so that the said spindle can be slid or pressed into place, a curved spring or a hinged or sliding piece serving to prevent its accidental displacement; or the stem of the pulley may be formed with an enlarged head adapted to be inserted within a slot or key-hole in the ceiling-plate, and be securely held therein by a hinged or sliding` piece and catch; or the pulley may have hooked extensions adapted to fit into, around, or upon a fixed support. I preferably, however, slot the side pieces or cheeks, c c, of the pulley C in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and I prevent the accidental displacement ofthe pulley by a stop, c', which depends loosely from a pivot-pin between the two cheeks c c, and overlies the top edge .0f the pulley C. This hanging stop c is shaped at its lower part to allow of the cord B running freely over the pulley. A hanging stop may also be applied to the outside of the pulley, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and in this case it will overhang one end of' the pulleyspindle and prevent its accidental displacement. A somewhat similar arrangement may also be applied to the lower pulley, C,where by it can be easily disengaged from the balance-weight E when desired. In practice I do not find that this lower pulley has any tendency to become displaced from thel slotted cheeks c2 ci; but as a preventive a curved hanging stop, such as is shown in Figs. 9 and 10-may be used.

The facility afforded fordetaching the lower pulley from the weight E is convenient when packing away the lamp and its fittings, but is not absolutely essential to my invention.

The means employed for detachably connecting the ends of the insulated flow and return wires, respectively contained within, the flexible conductor or cord B,to the fixed overhead wires may be of any suitable description; butI preferably employ a ceiling-coupling of my own invention, which forms the subject of my application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 145,752, filed October' 17, 1884, but which I will briefly here describe with refence to Fig. 11, which is a central sectional view. In this figure, A* is a block or rose, of porcelain, wood, or other non-conducting material, to which are. secured a pair of' metal cheeks, a* ai?. B is a detachable block or carriage,which is furnished with a pair of metallic cheeks, b* 5*, insulated from each other, and adapted to engage or interlock with the metal cheeks a* adi. The rose or block Ail has one or more holes through it, one of which is shown dotted in the figure, through which the overhead main or branch wires pass,to be connected to the cheeks a* a* by bindingscrews or their equivalent, and the carriage i B* is pierced with a hole or holes for the passage ofthe end ofthe flexible cord containing the insulated flow and return wires, which are to be attached, respectively, to theinsulated cheeks b* bili.

To protect the coupling from accidental touch, I employ ascrew-cap, E, serving as a guard. This screw-cap guard has a central aperture, 6*, for the passage of the flexible cord B, and after the coupling operation the guard is screwed on, and accidental contact is rendered impossible.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the hanging lamp can be rapidly disengaged from its ceiling-connections by slipping the coupling to which the flexible cord B is attached out of contact with the overhead terminal wires, and by unshipping the upper pulley, C, and that the lamp can be as readily replaced.

It is important, in order to diminish expense and secure the utmost simplicity of action,t-hat a single cord or tape containing both the flow and return wires, suitably insulated, shall be used to support and convey the electric current to the lamp or lamps, as only two pulleys and one weight are then required. I have found that a single cord composed of 9 two sets of wires insulated the one from the other, each set containing from twelve to fifteen strands of the size known as N o. 40, B. W. G., runs well over pulleys of about one and a quarter inch diameter, and works smoothly and efficiently withoutinjury to the wires.

I am well aware that electric lamps have been supplied with electricity through naked copper wires or conductors passing over pulleys, and that the weight of such lamps has been balanced by counter-weights; but such an arrangement, by involving the use of two separate conductors and four pulleys, is more complex than mine, and is dangerous to peri sons and buildings; besides which, the exposed copper cords are very liable to corrode and make bad contact. Such lamps, moreover, have not hitherto been made detachable from the fixed overhead conductors, and hence I are not so well suited for domestic use and for the interior lighting of buildings as are hanging electrical lamps fitted according to my invention.

Having now described the nature of my inr vention of an improved hanging balanced electric lamp, I wish it to be understood that I claim- 1. The combination, with an electric-lamp socket and lamp,A, and a balance-weight, E, 1 of a flexible cord, B, containing both the flow and return wires,suitably insulated, a pair of detachable pulleys, C G, and means for electrically connecting and disconnecting the wires in the said cord with the fixed overhead or 1 lead wires, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an electric-lamp IOO socket and lamp, A, a detachable coupling, F, and a lieXible cord, B, containing both the flow and return wires, suitably insulated, of the balanced weight E and pulleys C C', the uppermost pulley being detachable, whereby provision is made for raising and lowering the lamp Without breaking the electric circuit, and for entirely disconnecting` the lamp, with its flexible cord, aulleys, and balance- Weight, from the ceiling when required.

3. In a hanging electrical lamp, the combination,with thelamp-socket and lamp A,and a single flexible cord containing both the ioW and return Wires, suitably insulated, and conveying the current thereto, of the detachable pulleys C C, locking-catches c c3, balanceweight E, and guides a and e, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

4. The combination, with a detachable coupling or ceiling-connector, and a single flexible cord containing both the flow and return wires, suitably insulated, the said wires being respectively connected at one end with the insulated terminals forming part of the said ceiling-connector,and at their other ends with the lamp-socket and lamp A, of the detachably-mounted pulley G and balance-weight E, iitted with a pulley,G', and a guide, e, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5.. The combination, with the fixed overhead conductors, an electric-lamp socket and lamp, A, and a iieXible cord, B, containing -both the low and return Wires, suitably insu-lated, of a pair of pulleys and a balance- Weight, E, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with an electric lamp or lamps, an insulated eXible conductor supporting and carrying the current to the said lamp or lamps, and a balance-weight, such as E, of pulleys over or around which the said iiexible conductor passes, and a guide for said flexible conductor, attached to the lamp, and serving as a stop to the Weight,for preventing injury to the lamp orlamps when they are raised to their highest position, substantially as herein described.

THOMAS TAYLER SMITH.

Witnesses:

HERBERT E. VALE, J. WATT, Both clerks to Messrs. Scorer di: Harris, 17

Gracechurch Street, London, E. 0. 

